The Redfields
by Red-Handed-Bandit
Summary: What were the Redfield siblings like as children? Their stories of what exactly happened in their youth, and what made them strong enough to face the flesh eating hordes in their adult years.
1. Baby

Chapter One

Chris peaked through the bars of the crib, his small eyebrows puckering in curiosity. He squeezed his hand in between the opening of two of the bars, wiggling his fingers. This grabbed the baby's attention. She had been gumming her fingers for a while, and now the tiny wet things gripped a hold of Chris's hand. Wide blue eyes stared up at him; her grip was strong and unwavering.

"Honey," His head turned to look at his mother, "Don't let her suck on your fingers. You haven't washed your hands yet."

"But I haven't touched nothin' dirty. Plus, she's not suckin on my hand." Chris protested, slowly drawing his hand away from his baby sister.

Claire gave a wail of annoyance, making him cringe. His mother rushed towards the baby, cradling her in her arms, cooing and shushing. After a moment, the screaming calmed and the usual babble that could be heard from the room returned.

"Alright, go get washed up for dinner, Chris," His mother said; walking out of the nursery, still holding Claire.

"M'kay…" Chris muttered.

Once his mother left the room, Chris examined his hand skeptically. He could still feel the pressure from Claire holding onto it. She was so... weird.

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><p>I have a million things on Resident Evil on my profile XD Oh gosh... So this will be updated randomly and whatnot, the chapters will be short, they'll rarely be long compared to what I'm doing with Ghosts from the Past. I know a bunch of people have done this but I wanted to try it out for myself. I hope you like it!<p> 


	2. Playgrounds

Chapter 2

Claire spat in the dirt beside the playground's monkey bar dome, if Chris could climb it, so could she. Chris sat mockingly at the top, grinning at her, his feet dangling from what seemed like fifty feet above. Claire pushed the bangs out of her face and secured her ponytail before starting to climb.

"You'll never make it up!" Chris taunted, still several feet above her.

"Shut up, stupid!"

"Mom said not to say shut up!" Chris called, but truthfully he said it all the time.

She rolled her eyes, when she turned eleven, she would be able to say anything she wanted. Chris always said he got to do things because he was double digits, and when she turned ten, oh would he be sorry. She would make him pay when she reached the top, but the distance between the bars were too spaced out, making her have to stand on her tippy toes to actually reach the next rung.

Chris frowned, "Claire, maybe you shouldn't climb up here. You might get hurt."

"You're just saying that!" She yelled, she was strong; she could do it.

"Don't make me get mom!" He threatened.

Claire stopped mid climb, "You're just scared that I'll prove you wrong!"

Chris didn't say anything else, he just watched in horror as his sister climbed higher and higher. He counted how many bars were left until she reached the top. _Ten, ten more bars until she's at the top…_ Suddenly she stopped climbing.

"Chris!" She cried out in panic.

"What?"

"It's really high!" Her voice was trembling now.

He swallowed hard, thinking of how to get her down, "Start climbing backwards."

She tried, but her feet dangled a good inch away from the bar below her. Claire gave a sniffle; she was trying to hold back tears but was failing miserably.

"Chris," a mumble.

"I'm coming," he promised, "I'll be right there!" Chris began his descent, quickly reaching her. "Grab onto me, I'll get you down."

Claire carefully unhooked herself from the bar and grabbed onto her brother. She felt him teeter from the weight; his body shook as he climbed down. At the last few bars, his foot slipped out from under him, making the two fall to the ground. Chris held onto Claire tightly; shielding her from the dirt. They landed with an "oof", both their parents cried out their names. Claire sat up on his chest, wiping away a tear with the back of her tiny hand.

"Are you two okay?" Their father asked, helping Chris up from the ground.

Chris brushed it off, pulling himself off the ground, "Yeah, I'm good. Not sure about Claire. She was pretty scared."

"Was not! You were the one who was being a fradie cat!" She protested, the tears suddenly gone.

Their mother interrupted, "Claire, you should've know better not to climb up there! And Chris! Couldn't you have kept her from trying to go up there?"

Chris narrowed his eyes, "I did try! She didn't listen to me!"

"At least no one got hurt," Their father muttered, "It's been a long day at the park, why don't we go home?"

As the family walked away from the playground, Claire grabbed a hold of Chris's shirt. "Thank you for saving me…"

"Anytime, Claire."

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><p>:) Another update tonight. Hope you guys like it!<p> 


	3. Eye Spy

Chapter 3

Chris stared out the window of the car as Claire pointed out everything they passed. She had decided it was the perfect time to play eye spy during the painstakingly long car ride. He gave a loud sigh, causing his dad to roll his eyes.

"I spy with my little eye," Claire paused, giving her choice great consideration, "Something red!"

"That car," Chris mumbled.

"Right! Now it's your turn, Chris!" Claire stared at him eagerly.

He turned to face his window once again, "Uhhh…" even though it was the dumbest game he could possibly think of, it was entertaining; "I spy with my little eye… uhhh." His eyes landed on jets shooting through the sky, "Something fast…"

Claire followed his gaze, "The planes."

"Jets," he corrected, "Probably an F-16…"

"Cool…" Claire muttered before spouting, "My turn again!"

Chris gave her a smirk, "Alright, go for it."

"I spy with my little eye, something white!"

He raised an eyebrow, "Wha-"

"Chris's teeth," Their father cut him off, his eyes visible in the rear-view-mirror.

Claire gave a laugh, "Yep, your turn!"

Chris settled back down into his seat as Claire and their dad played eye spy together. He watched the jets turn to small specks in the sky, what he would give to fly one of those.

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><p>Sorry it took me so long to update this story XP So Chris is supposed to be 15 or 16 and Claire is around 9 or 10. Kind of explains the annoyingness of her in this chapter and the distantness of Chris XD Hope you like it! :)<p> 


	4. Lightening

Lighting charged the air thickly, and it took all Chris had not to go completely insane. He looked drowsily toward the clock near his bed, and nearly gave a shout. It was two in the morning. To top off the newly found information, he realized that it was only five hours until school started.

Chris glared bitterly out his window just as another flash reflected off his walls. He counted until the loud crash of thunder rolled lazily through his house. But this time, it was a deep guttural boom that shook his room to the core, and startled Chris out of his daze.

He sat up from bed for a moment, listening to the dim pitter patter of rain against the roof. Despite the fact he was no longer afraid of thunder and lightening, Chris's heart still hammered in his chest painfully, an uneasy thump that worried him. Was it really supposed to do that? It really was only lightening. Or was it?

A light tap at his door caused his head to swivel toward the figure in his doorway. He had expected the sight of his mother, as if she had come to check in on him. But the shadow was small, and coughed once. It was Claire. Chris wondered what she was doing in his room this late, when a growl of thunder roared in the distance. Claire jumped onto his bed with a start, before apologizing quietly.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked, closing his eyes tiredly.

He could just make out Claire's features from the dim glow that poured in through his window. She pursed her lips slightly, as if debating whether or not to tell him. Another flash of lightening caused her to squeak and dive closer to him.

Chris rose his brow skeptically, "Aren't you a little old to be afraid of lightening?" Claire gave a feeble shake of her head, and he continued. "You don't mean to tell me that Claire _Redfield_ is scared of something, now, do you?"

"Am not!" Claire barked, standing on her knees as she wobbled on the mattress.

He gave her a disbelieving look, "Oh yeah? Then what are you doing in my room?"

"I… I…" Her eyes squinted as she thought for a moment. "I came here to-to-" Claire's eyes widened, and a smile crawled onto her features. "To protect you!"

Chris stared for a moment waiting for another crash of lightening to disprove her claim. It soon came, and his younger sister dove beneath the covers. He let out a small laugh, and pulled the bed sheets from her curled form.

"C'mon Claire, it's just lightening." He poked at her side, but couldn't bring her out from her fetal position. "Don't make me tickle you!" He threatened childishly, but it got her to uncurl herself.

"Can I stay in here?" Claire asked after a moment of quiet.

Chris glanced at his clock again, finding that it was now pointless to try and get any sleep. He gave a heavy sigh, as if he were actually debating the idea.

"Oh… alright. But _just_ until the lightening stops." Chris clarified sternly, but he watched as Claire beamed.

It wasn't long until she was fast asleep, and kneeing him in the side. Chris looked out the window once again, and listened for the sound of rain and thunder. Neither met his ears, but when he reached over to shake his sister awake, hand poised in the air, he stopped. No need in waking her up now, was there?

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><p>Wow, I haven't updated this in a while. It wasn't until two seconds ago that a flood of ideas came in for this story. I've been updating my other ff profile. Don't ask me why I have two -_- But thank you all for the support! Makes me so happy, and I promise (sort of XP) to update this fic more! I think I'm just gonna flood this story with chapters tonight so I don't have to really worry about it later. Maybe even finish it off, if there aren't too many. :) Thanks again!<p> 


	5. No Way In Hell

A nervousness settled at the pit of the youngest of Redfield's stomach. Chris had said he'd get home from the airport just in time to see her middle school graduation. But as she watched the clock that hung stoically above the kitchen sink, her heart sank further.

It was only an hour until she herself had to leave, and another thirty minutes before the ceremony actually started. She had sought out the reassurance of her parents, that Chris would be there on time, but they only gave her small smiles and a pat on the back. Nothing seemed to help the ever growing unease she felt, and soon it seemed almost hard to breath.

_Calm down, Redfield,_ She chastised herself, _what would Chris do if he saw you like this? I'm strong; I can handle things without him by my side!_ But despite her inner pep talk, Claire felt no better than she had before. Maybe even a little more disappointed that she couldn't go through her middle school graduation without her big brother than before.

She had always imagined seeing him cheering for her as she walked across that stage. He would be holding a huge sign with her name written in his terrible handwriting, but it didn't matter because he made it, and she would give him a huge smile in return. But now, it was shattered by his flight being late.

"Couldn't he have flown himself home?" Claire asked aloud to no one in particular. "He would be here by now if he had."

She watched as her mother gave a soft sigh, "He'll be here, Claire. Just be patient."

Claire folded her arms across her chest, a bitter look crossing her features. "He better."

The comment was met with a worn eye roll from her mother, and Claire sunk further into her chair. The girl really was worried about the lack of her brother, and couldn't help but let her imagination get the better of her.

What if he was in trouble? What if his plane had crashed and he was swimming around in the middle of the ocean? Or worse, he was on an island without any way of getting home! Claire bit her lip, thinking critically of the claims the less rational side of her brain had made. And after a moment's thought, Claire found that none of those could be possible, because one way or another, Chris would find his way home. Island or no island.

It wasn't until she was seated on stage with the rest of her classmates that she really doubted Chris's appearance. She listened as her peers pointed out their family members to those around them. But she kept silent, eyes narrowed and watching the back door in hopes Chris would come crashing through at any moment.

But her hopes dwindled once her principal walked up to the podium and began a long and half hearted speech. Claire never looked away from the door though, and barely paid any attention to what was being said. It wasn't until the boy beside her nudged her arm that she remembered what she was actually there for.

"Stand up, our row's moving!" The boy seemed just as nervous as she was, so she stood and walked toward a line where the students were waiting to be called.

With eyes cast downward, Claire inched forward until she heard her name called. "Claire Redfield!"

Remembering to hold her head high, Claire tried to dispel all thoughts of sadness and disappointment. But a cheer rang out through the MPR, louder than the rest, and so she halted on her way towards her principal, and glanced at the crowd. There, near the back in his air force uniform, stood her brother whooping and hollering.

Finding her courage once again, Claire picked up her head once again and marched toward the podium. She was smiling so hard that her face felt sore, but she continued smiling. She couldn't stop, and for a moment she thought she wouldn't be able to stop.

Once the students were turned loose on the room, Claire darted for Chris. His arms flung open as she dove into them, kissing his cheeks unabashedly. Several children raised their brow at the sibling's display of affection, but Claire couldn't help it. It had felt like an eternity since she had seen her brother, and vice versa.

"So, how's my little sister?" Chris asked, smile still adorning his features.

"Fantastic! I was worried you wouldn't make it!" Claire admitted, slightly out of breath from the excitement buzzing through the air.

He chuckled lightly, "And miss this? No way in hell that would happen."

Claire hugged him tightly once again. No way in hell would that would happen.

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><p>Thanks for all the reviewsfaves/follows! They make my day, I seriously cannot tell you how happy they make me! Thank you all so much!


	6. Better Memories

Claire sat unmoving from the kitchen table chair. Was this really happening? Could this possibly _be_ happening? Apparently it was, because instead of her mother or father at her side, it was her aunt.

She felt dizzy. No, that wasn't the right word. She felt _sick_. Utterly and completely sick. Claire's stomach hurt, and her head hurt, and her eyes hurt from crying so hard. It had only felt like minutes before her parents had waved their goodbyes to her from the front door.

_They were only going to a movie._ Claire stared at the floor. _They were coming home when their car got hit. _

Claire fought back the barrage of tears that were attempting to spill out, and she soon swallowed them down. The pain of her parent's death couldn't be explained simply. For it hurt more than she ever thought it possible. She wasn't even sixteen yet. Parents weren't supposed to die until you were older with kids of your own. When your children had children.

They'd miss her sixteenth birthday. They'd miss her graduation from high school, her graduation from college. Her children would have no grandparents on her side, and there would be no turkey dinners with their laughs filling the house. Her future seemed foreboding, desolate, and pointless. The feeling of abandonment filled her entirely.

She clutched at her sides as she and her aunt waited for Chris to appear. Her aunt had spoken with him over the phone, and he was apparently trying to get off base to come home.

"He'll be here soon," Her aunt reassured her for the umpteenth time that night.

Claire wanted to scream at her, hit her, pound it into her head that she didn't care if Chris came home or not. She wanted her parents back. She wanted to see her dad smile, to hear her mother's sarcastic replies, and to see them at the dinner table. But that was long gone, only a memory now.

"He'll be here soon." The words meant nothing now, and Claire stood.

Her jeans had become damp from all her crying, and she wiped at her now drying eyes furiously. Her aunt looked up at her, distress written plainly across her face, but Claire could care less. The woman hardly visited the family, and was only there because Claire needed a legal adult with her.

She stormed into her room and slammed her door shut. Sliding down the wall, Claire clutched her knees, an empty feeling closing in on her. Biting down the feeling, she squeezed her eyes tightly and tried to think of better memories. When Chris was around, and her parents were alive. Better memories. Better memories…

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><p>And here is the death of the Redfield's parents! Sad face... I wanted to show Claire's dealing with the news, as I really don't know how Chris would manage getting off the airbase. So I just wanted to show Claire kinda dealing with things on her own, as when you have an older sibling, they typically help you out with things. But I wanted her to feel isolated, unlike the all the chapters before this one.<p>

A lot of this (by the way) is based off of my relationship with my brother. Our parents are still very alive, thank you, but we have a similar relationship as Chris and Claire. (At least I like to think so) He's the older brother, I'm the younger sister, he's very protective, and I'm always trying to find him. XDBut thank you so much for all the support! It really means a lot! And the next chapter will probably be up REALLY soon!


	7. Each Other

Chris sat stiffly beside his younger sister, staring at the pictures beside each coffin. Family pictures spanning from the couple's wedding, all the way to Claire's middle School graduation. Claire had buried herself into his side, as if attempting to shrink herself from the reality of it all. The first few minutes, she had been just as stoic as he had, but once the eulogy began, she broke down.

She was always so tough, always wanted to be tough, but this? This was too much for anyone to handle on their own. He was sorry he couldn't be there that night; so sorry that Claire was all alone. Guilt had found residency in his chest and wouldn't leave. He had promised her all their lives he'd always be there for her. But it was a lie. Chris had now broken that promise.

The eulogy felt slow, and it wasn't until their aunt stood that he realized friends and family were now aloud to speak. She was only up for a few seconds, speaking of how she was there that night with Claire, and it hurt him. Like a knife in his chest. And each pointed look she gave him was just as equal to her telling him he had failed in his promise.

And so when there was a pause in speaking, Chris stood and headed for that podium. He watched Claire from his place and spoke carefully, ever so slowly so his voice wouldn't crack.

"I, sadly, was not there the night my parents… passed. But I remember all the memories we shared... I remember the time at the park," He was staring at Claire now, eyes unwavering. This was for him and her, no one else in the room mattered, not his aunts or uncles or cousins. He was doing this for Claire, "when, Claire, your ice cream fell on the ground. You were three at the time, so I don't know if you remember. But dad… he-he 'traded' with you." Chris let out a small and feeble laugh, "he bought the same ice cream as you afterward, but pretended it was the one that you dropped, and you looked so… _surprised_ because he was eating it. Mom was laughing real hard about it, and I didn't think it was all too funny." Chris's voice seemed to shatter, and it was becoming harder and harder to compose himself. "It's things like that you've gotta remember, happier times to keep you from feeling so sad. But it also helps having someone by your side that understands… I-I left the air force, Claire." His sister's eyes widened as he spoke further, "I don't want to leave you alone like I did on that night. I'm here for you Claire, like I always said I would be."

As he stepped down from the podium, he felt all eyes on him. He reached up to rub at his eyes, which were leaking with tears now, and felt his face begin to burn. As he sat down with Claire again, she looped her arm around his in comfort. Chris relaxed from the touch, and he watched as she reached for a small bag of tissues.

When they were outside, the eulogy ended, she still clung to him. He stopped suddenly, and watched as she turned to face him. "Chris?"

"Claire? Are they really dead?" His voice trembled as he asked the childish question.

Claire gave a tight smile, tears slipping from her eyes once again. She brought him into a hug, and squeezed. "Yeah… they are. But- we have each other. Right? Like you always said, we have each other."

Chris nodded numbly, though this time, he didn't really know.

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><p>Few, either I'm getting tired, or I'm running out of ideas, cause each chapter I write seems to suck even more.<p>

Thanks for all the lovin'! It's very much appreciated!


	8. Takeout

Nerves frayed, and eyes unblinking, Claire sat at the kitchen table in her and her brother's new apartment. A small thing; not like their old home, which now seemed large and luxurious in comparison. But no, now the siblings shared a one-bedroom apartment, thanks to Chris's low paying job, and their parent's lack of money. Almost nothing was left behind after their mother and father's sudden and untimely demise.

But apart from the cramped new home, most of their belongings had been sold off at a rather large garage sale. Memories were ushered into the hands of willing relatives, packed off into corners of their current living space, or sold off to strangers for a nickel and dime.

Claire sipped at her soda uneasily, eyes locked on the dimly lit clock on the stove. It was later than it should have been, or at least later than Chris had said he'd be gone. But it wasn't the solitude that bothered her; it was the lack of food in the cupboards and the empty shelves in the refrigerator. But as if she were stuck in a continuous loop, Claire would check the clock, sip her drink, and get up to check for food.

But as seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours, she had half a heart to walk out the front door and start asking her neighbors for food. But Chris would go ballistic, either from being worried for her safety, or for not being able to provide for his sister. His ego would definitely bruise.

Just as she was about to make another round of staring, sipping, and looking, Chris walked through the front door. Dropping his bags unceremoniously to the floor, he let out a loud sigh. "Hey Claire, you hungry?"

"Yeah." Came the terse reply, her eyes on the clock once again.

"Sorry I'm late," he ruffled her hair absently, moving toward the fridge as he did so.

"There's nothing in there." Her voice was bitter, eyes unwavering from the stove clock.

Chris's fingers had barely brushed the handle when she spoke. He stopped short, giving a slow nod as he did so, "Alright, so takeout it is."

Claire's stomach lurched at the idea. They'd been having takeout ever since their parents had passed three weeks before. And though Claire knew Chris was no cook, it didn't mean she couldn't learn to make a few homemade meals. "Can't we go grocery shopping or something?"

There was a pause, "Claire," he began softly. "I'm really tired, and my shift was extended-"

"Give me some money and I can run down to the store. I'll be really quick." Claire nearly begged. She was growing tired of sitting in that apartment. It was suffocating her; it's faulty electricity and cold showers slowly grating away at her sanity. She missed home; she missed all the things she used to take for granted.

"You're not going out at this time of night." Chris turned to face her, his eyes hard as if daring her to contradict him.

"Why not?" Claire knew she sounded childish, but she could care less.

Chris narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists tightly at his sides, "Because it's dangerous out there. I'm not letting my baby sister walk around at two in the morning looking for food. Now lets just get takeout."

"No."

"What do you _mean_ no?"

"What do you _think _I meant?"

"Stop acting like a brat, Claire." Claire watched as the muscles in her brother's neck tensed. His face was growing redder by the minute, and if she kept this up, he'd probably storm out soon.

"Stop acting like a dick, Chris." She mimicked boldly.

Claire could feel the blood rush to her face, and her eyes stung relentlessly as she held back her tears. She wanted to stop being so weak. She wanted to stop crying so much. Why couldn't she be stronger? She needed to be stronger.

His mouth popped open at her latest retort, "You can forget about dinner then."

"What are you? My dad?" Her eyes narrowed, and his widened.

"No, I'm not. But I _am_ your guardian. Now c'mon, lets just get some food so we can go to bed. You have school in the morning." Now he was attempting to calm himself, be the better person, but Claire didn't want that. She wanted to get everything out, say everything on her mind no matter how cutting.

"I said _no._"

"Claire, please just-"

She cut him off with a trembling voice, "I'm not going to calm down, Chris. I don't want takeout, and I _don't_ want you to tell me what to do. You didn't raise me, and you never _will_."

Silence. Claire stood after a moment, finding that her brother wouldn't say anything further. She stormed towards their bathroom, and locked herself inside before succumbing to tears. They fell down her cheeks relentlessly, sobs wracking her body so loudly she hardly heard the front door shut.

He left again. Why did he keep leaving her alone? Why couldn't things just be like they were before? Couldn't time go back to that night, so she could beg her parents to stay home? Couldn't she take back all the horrible things she said to Chris? Couldn't she just be grateful she still had her older brother?

And after several lonely minutes, Claire fell into a restless slumber against the bathroom door. It wasn't until several minutes later; she was woken by the soft knock of her concerned brother.

"I got you some food…" The door muffled his voice.

She rubbed at her now dry eyes, her face feeling sticky and raw from crying. Claire debated on ignoring him, but abandoned the idea quickly. It would be immature to do so, something she was sick of being.

With trembling fingers, she opened the door to Chris, a smile adorning his features. And she started crying again, hugging his legs and apologizing profusely. He was silent, only giving a small chuckle when she finished.

Handing her a box of noodles, he sat beside her on the floor. "I got you your favorite…"

Claire gave a small smile, "Thanks." Moments later, when both had finished their early morning dinner, Claire spoke the words she had been mulling over in her head. "I'm glad you're the one taking care of me… I wouldn't have it any other way."

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><p>Shout outs~<p>

IZINA015: Awww, that really made me smile! Thank you so much, and I'm glad you're enjoying this fic!

Botoingness: You cried? Though I feel bad, I feel that I did a good job as a writer in evoking those emotions! Thank you so much for your support and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

PeaPrince: First off, welcome to the Fic! And it's great to hear you were hooked right away! I'm trying to make the chapters longer, this one was three pages on Word, so I hope that's good :D

MayJebir: I heard both that Chris was kicked out, and that he left for Claire. I thought that his leaving seemed more Chris like, rather than him getting kicked out. Plus, I thought it would bring out all da feels XD

MysticWolf1891: Yay! It's cool that you can also relate to the short stories. It's always nice to hear that my stories are believable, as that's what I try and aim for... despite the fact that a lot of the fanfiction Universes are not at all realistic. XD

To anyone I missed, I still adore all of your comments and support. Whenever I wake up, I immediately look through my emails to read through your comments (I know, I have no life) but it makes me feel more confident about my writing skills! So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and found it as good as the others, if not better! I'll see you all next chapter! :D

Lots of love, Red-Handed-Bandit


	9. New Beginning

Chris fingered the rim of his coffee mug for a moment, eyes flickering to the side before settling back on the table before him. The casualness of the conversation had died down into one of more serious undertones. That of Claire's well being and of his own financial stability. It was an uncomfortable subject for Chris to discuss openly, but Barry had persisted in his line of questioning.

"Is this legitimate? I can't take you up on the offer if it isn't." Chris spoke around the lip of his mug, watching his friend.

Barry gave a reassuring grin, motioning toward the badge he had placed upon the table earlier. "Course it is. You think this isn't real? What do you think I am Chris?"

He graced his senior with a small smile and chuckle, barely audible, but a chuckle nonetheless. "I dunno Barry."

"C'mon-"

Chris held up his hands, cutting off his friend's plea. "Claire needs me."

"I thought you said she was off at some University."

"Got in there herself too. Never asked me for a penny," Chris answered almost bitterly, gripping at his drink more forcefully this time.

True, Claire had worked through her summer and high school days saving every cent she earned. She had hid the money in a jar in the back of her closet until she turned eighteen, then and only then did she stick all the money into her own savings account far from Chris'. Before she left for college, the two had grown considerably distant, almost uncomfortably so. In fact, Chris almost felt more comfortable without her around. She had become more independent and less reliant on him.

Barry rose a brow, lips pursing in question. "So what's holding you back?"

"I dunno..." It was a lie and both knew it. Barry narrowed his eyes, a flat expression crossing his features in silent askance for the _real_ reason. "I don't think I can go back to that lifestyle."

"You'd be a glorified police officer. You rarely see any outside action at all. So far it's just been helping the police keep crime off the streets and looking for any threats within the country." He then noted dryly, "On a computer screen."

Chris smirked, "You haven't gotten any better at convincing, Barry."

The older man gave a hearty chuckle, "Is that a yes then?"

"Where do I sign up?" Chris extended a hand, a firm smile upon his face. It wasn't of joy, but one of opportunity and excitement.

"You just did. All you've gotta do is show up for an "interview" next week. The big man's heard some good things about you." Apparently that was a good thing, because after a round of ear to ear grinning and friendly laughter the two shook hands firmly before settling back into quieter conversations. Ones suitable for eating and not ones for darker situations. So both men took turns asking rounds of questions; falling back into a pattern that fit that of old comrades.

But despite their closeness and Chris' trust within his friend, he was slightly terrified. How would he tell Claire? What if he wasn't what they were looking for? What would happen between him and his sister? But somehow, despite all his doubts and fears, something felt good about this. It was a new beginning. A new chapter. It was a good thing. A great thing to have happened. And he couldn't stop smiling, because this was the luckiest day of his life.

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><p><strong>Really short chapter and I apologize. I also should apologize for the long wait so... sorry! <strong>**Anyways, thank you all who review, favorite, and follow! It means so much to hear your feedback! We should be done soon. Maybe a handful of chapters left. Which I'm actually happy to say as I have a new story in mind. Anyone who are fans of the Avengers will be excited... especially those who like Clintasha but... whatever. **

**Again thank you to all who fave, watch, and comment! Love you guys!**


	10. Emails and Phone Calls

She missed him dearly, unable to remember when it was she had seen him last. Her brother's new job had taken him elsewhere, taken him far from her. And despite the phone calls and emails she received, it wasn't enough. The last time Claire had actually seen Chris could be traced back several months. Several months before the newest epidemic.

Something had gone wrong, something he wouldn't tell her. Couldn't tell her. But she could see it in the newspapers. Find it online. Hear it around campus. People were dying. Disappearing only to be found again, mauled beyond recognition. The information was disconcerting, and she was waiting for the message that Chris was one of those bodies. That what he had been investigating in Raccoon City had gotten a hold of him. That he was missing. That he was dead.

With each email and phone call, she was reassured of his safety. That he would be perfectly fine. That he was safe and alive. Still in one piece. But lately, she had found no messages piling up in her inbox. No voice mails of him complaining how she never picked up the phone.

After several days, she sent him an email of her own. After waiting another day for a reply she finally called from her dorm room. He didn't pick up, and she left a message. Days passed until finally she couldn't stand the silence. Couldn't take the lack of her brother's presence, no matter how minute it was.

She left campus early one morning, leaving a note for her roommate to assure she was fine. Raccoon City was a long way to go.

* * *

><p><em>Claire,<em>

_Sorry I wasn't able to respond sooner. Things have gotten a little shaky around here. I'm safe, so don't worry. Just make sure you stay as far away from here as possible. I'll be heading over to your place as soon as I can. Whatever you do, don't come to Raccoon City. Something's happened that I can't explain over email. You'll know soon enough._

_Love you,_

_Chris_

* * *

><p><strong>And so it begins...<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who faved, commented, liked, etc. It means so much to me! Honestly, this fic would have never been completed if it weren't for everyone cheering me on! Thank you so much!**


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